April 2007 Magazine Contents

This classy ribbon mic doesn't just look great — AEA's thoughtful design means that it also offers great sonic results.

Mastering engineers are notoriously fussy about EQ, and until now, plug-in manufacturers have struggled to compete with the best hardware designs. Can Algorithmix's Red and Blue change hearts and minds?

Do your mixes translate well to radio or consumer audio systems? If not, the Mixcubes might be just what you need...

If you're in the market for a good-quality, no-frills surround monitor controller, this may be just what you're looking for.

There are now quite a few plug-ins on the market that have the ability to split audio into hundreds or thousands of bands and treat them separately, paving the way for a variety of weird and wonderful effects. Are you brave enough to enter the frequency zone?

If you like the bright sound of beryllium tweeters, these active monitors might make for a pleasant departure from the usual suspects.

Korg bring the MS20 and the Polysix to the OASYS and introduce a major OS update.

There's no law to say that microphone diaphragms must be circular, and in fact a rectangular diaphragm, such as the one inside this Swedish mic, can offer some unique and useful characteristics.

We take an in-depth look at MOTU's most affordable Firewire audio interface yet.

If you've ever fancied creating your own VST plug-in synths and effects, Outsim's slick development tool might just have made the process that bit easier for PC users.

Two very handy 'accessories' come under scrutiny: PJB's Bass Buddy, a Bass Guitar Recording DI Box, and from Little Labs their STD Instrument Cable Extender.

The SH201 — a versatile new modelling synth from Roland or a cash-in on past glories? Let's find out...

We take our first look at the excellent new Portico range by Rupert Neve Designs - and they don't disappoint.

Three more recently released libraries and virtual instruments get installed and tested to oblivion! • Muse • Chris Hein Guitars • Sample Lab Luscious Grooves: The Dark Side

Boasting 16 channels, a transparent sound and bags of headroom, there's more to this innocent-looking creature than meets the eye.

With 16 mic preamps and a built-in mixer, the M16 certainly delivers on quantity. Can it deliver on quality too?

The latest offerings in Ueberschall's Liquid Instruments series focus on vocals, aiming to provide you with a flexible band of personal backing vocalists via a front-end based on Celemony's Melodyne.

Last month, we looked at OS X's Network MIDI capabilities and how they get along with DP. This time, we go further into the brave new world that is network audio and remote access. Prepare to give your network connection a workout...

Bass is the linchpin for so much of today's music, anchoring the other sounds and providing a foundation for the mix as a whole. But at the same time, it can seem maddeningly difficult to pin down and control. Help is at hand...

Phil Spector was one of the first producers to realise that a recording studio could be an instrument in itself - and the sound he created over 40 years ago has influenced popular music ever since.

Drum-recording problems and an inappropriate choice of vocal mic threatened to hamper this month's hard rock track by New York rock band Generals & Majors.

The accompanying audio files demonstrate some of the mix processing used to create this month's remix.

Dynamics processing plays an important part in almost all modern music production. We look at some practical examples using Cubase 4's built-in dynamics plug-ins.

In this month's column, we give you the low-down on the wealth of new features coming your way in the version 7.3 updates to Pro Tools TDM and LE.

While Mac users continue to wait in anticipation for new Mac hardware and software, we explore a really neat application you might not realise you even own, which lets you create your own MIDI- and audio-based visual performances.

If you ever have to re-install all your software after a PC upgrade, there are tricks that can save you a lot of time, and also help you to be more organised in the future. PC Notes rounds them up, as well as keeping you up to date on Vista compatibility for musicians.

Rewiring Live through Pro Tools can open up a world of new possibilities for both applications.

Beyoncé's second solo album, B'Day, has yielded two of the biggest singles of the year. Jason Goldstein tells us how he put together hit mixes for 'Déjà Vu' and 'Irreplaceable'.

Step sequencing is often regarded as a pastime of '80s revivalists, but it can be used effectively in Logic to produce creative results in all kinds of music.

This month, the SOS team visit a student's home studio to help him overcome a few teething troubles with layout and acoustics...

Sonar's Session Drummer has evolved from a MIDI plug-in to a sophisticated tone module that also includes pattern playback capabilities. We take a look beneath the surface.

If you want to get your low-frequency monitoring right, a subwoofer can be your best friend — or your worst enemy! Learn how to optimise your setup...

I notice that in a lot of commercial music the vocal is quite thin, with not a lot of bass to it. When I'm recording, I...

In your recent article 'Specifying and Building A Dual-core Desktop PC' (printed in SOS February 2007), the RAM chosen was specified for 1.9V. The selected Intel motherboard specifies 1.8V only. Why did this not result in failure to boot up?

I am interested in a relatively cheap (sub-£300) condenser mic. Which other accessories, like preamps, might I need and which would you recommend?

I seem to get different information on the order in which mix processors should be used. What should I have on the master output of Cubase when I export my mix?

Why were all the monitors pictured in your Tori Amos article, upside down? Am I missing something?

Another batch of our readers' views get aired...

Another group of masochists offer their self-recordings up for scrutiny by the SOS editorial team. Read it and weep?

This month, studio engineer Mike Newbon gets on his soapbox...

You've got four weeks left until your studio closes. How to make best use of that time? The Walkmen's answer was to recreate their favourite album, note for note, in all its drunken and shambolic glory.

Editor In Chief Paul White ruminates over a few pet gripes...

A recording contract might seem like the Holy Grail, but record labels are not charity concerns and their contracts are not set up with your interests in mind. Our guide to contract terms, written by an entertainment lawyer, explains what it all means and what the implications are for the artist.